Isn't the issue this: Android is touted as being more 'open' than iOS giving more choice to end users. This move reduces choice. If Android users want to deploy ad blocker why can't they, it's their choice of how they want to use their 'open' device.

According to Till Faida, co-founder of Adblock Plus,

"Google has crossed a red line by removing the app" and "is placing business interests ahead of user interests."

"Isn't Android an open system?" he asked. "We are not interfering with any other apps. We are providing choice. The user should be in charge of what services may access their device - not Google."

Isn't the issue this: Android is touted as being more 'open' than iOS giving more choice to end users. This move reduces choice. If Android users want to deploy ad blocker why can't they, it's their choice of how they want to use their 'open' device.

After this decision, Android users still have a choice to install what they want on their device.

"Google has crossed a red line by removing the app" and "is placing business interests ahead of user interests."

"Isn't Android an open system?" he asked. "We are not interfering with any other apps. We are providing choice. The user should be in charge of what services may access their device - not Google."

Android is still an open system. Users are still in charge of what services run on their Android systems.

They only thing being restricted here is the offerings on the Google Play store. Google have every right to dictate what is and is not offered on Google Play.

Unlike iOS and Windows Phone, Android was not, and still is not, a walled garden. Users may still, very easily, install software other than what Google offers on Google play. There is only one setting users need to enable:

Trust an Apple fanboy not to read the article and draw their own conclusions instead.

1) Users can still install adblockers - legally, legitimately and without too much fuss. All that's happened is Google have removed it from their specific app store.

2) How can you even compare Android to iOS then follow with a statement about how Google are putting their business interests first. Apple are several orders of magnitude more strict that Google and app developers and users a whole plethora of additional concessions they have to make to use Apple's ecosystems (additional developer charges, tighter vendor lock ins, stricter rules on their app store, etc). And then you have the absurd patent feuds that Apple have started; <sarcasm> but obvious suing their competition into oblivion is for the benefit of the users and not a business decision at all. </sarcasm>